Fountain pen cap having an ink container therein



Nov. 10, 1953 M. FRIED 2,658,479

FOUNTAIN PEN CAP HAVING AN INK CONTAINER THEREIN Filed April 26, 1952 INVENTOR. Mannen. FRnED @dented Nov. l0, QS

OFFICE FOUNTAIN PEN CAP HAVING AN INK CONTAINER THEREIN Mendel Fried, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application April 26, 1952, Serial No. 284,513

13 Claims.

The present invention relates to a pen cap structure and more particularly to a pen cap structure having a container in which ink may be located.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a pen cap structure with a means for holding ink.

Another object of the present invention is to provide, in a pen cap structure, an ink holder which is adapted to form a permanent part of the pen without substantially altering the cutward appearance thereof.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide, in a pen cap structure, an ink container which can automatically assume an upwardly directed position.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a convenient source of ink for a fountain pen and a means for conveniently lling the pen from the source of ink.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a means for stably supporting an ink container forming part of a pen cap structure.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a structure capable of accomplishing all of the above objects while at the same time being made of relatively few, simple, inexpensive parts.

With the above objects in view the present invention mainly consists of a pen cap structure adapted to be removably connected to a pen for covering the point thereof. This pen cap structure includes an elongated tube having an open end portion in which a pen point is adapted to be located and having another end opposite the open end portion thereof. An elongated container is movably connected to this other end of the tube for movement between one position where the container forms an extension of said tube and another position where the container extends at an angle from said tube. It is preferred to provide a resilient means for urging the container into this other position and a means for stably supporting the container in an upwardly extending direction in this other position thereof. Also, a releasable holding means is associated with the tube and the container for releasably holding the latter in said one position where the container forms an extension of said tube.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be (Cl. 1Z0-7.5)

best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side sectional view of a pen cap structure constructed in accordance with the present invention and shown associated with a Den;

Fig. 2 shows the pen cap structure of Fig. 1 in a different position thereof;

Fig. 3 shows another embodiment of the pen cap structure of Figs. 1 and 2 in the position corresponding to that of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a partly sectional View illustrating yet another embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 5 shows the embodiment of Fig. i in a position corresponding to that of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a View of the structure of Fig. 5 as seen from the left-hand side thereof; and

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary, partly sectional vi w of a pen constructed in accordance with the invention and illustrated in use with other structure of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in Fig. 1 a pen lil which in the particular embodiment illustrated is a fountain pen. An open end portion of a tube Il, which may be cylindrical and which is provided with inner threads, threadedly engages the threads of the pen IU. This tube H has tightly located therein a mem ber I2 which is also cylindrical and over which is stretched an end of a rubber tube i3, this end of the rubber tube I3 being tightly clamped between the members Il and i2 so as to be iixed to the tube il. The rubber tube i3 is xed, as by glueing or the like, to the bottom closed end of a tubular container l adapted to have ink located therein, this container isi preferably being made of a transparent material such as glass or plastic and having a cover i5 threadedly mounted thereon over the open end thereof distant from tube Il. The tube i3 is stretched to a greater degree on its lower side, as viewed in Fig. 1, than on its upper side so that with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1 the rubber tube I3 will resiliently urge the container It in a counterclockwise direction about the left end of tube I I, as viewed in Fig. 1.

A holding means is provided to maintain the container lli in the position shown in Fig. 1 where it forms an extension of the tube il, the members Il and it both being cylindrical and 0f substantially the same diameters. In the embodiment of Fig. 1 this holding means takes the form of an elongated tube I6 having a closed end Il and slidably engaging the tube H which may be provided with a slightly enlarged tapered portion IIa terminating in a shoulder I8 to limit the movement of tube I6. The right-hand open end oi tube I6 frictionally engages the tapered portion IIa of tube II so as to be maintained thereon by the force of friction and is removable from the tube II with a relatively slight pulling force. A spring clip I9 is attached to the tube I6 so that when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1 they closely resemble a conventional fountain pen.

The pen I is usable simply by being unthreaded from the tube I I and may have its end 2G located within the tube II as in conventional fountain pens when the pen is being used. When the ink in the pen Ii) is exhausted it is only necessary to remove the tube I6 from the tube II and container I4. The rubber tube I3 will then automatically move the container I4 to the position shown in Fig. 2, and the spring clip I9 may be inserted into the tube II so that the tubes I5 and II form a stable support for holding the container Ill in a generally upward direction, as shown in Fig. 2. Then the cap I5 may be removed from the container It and the pen IIi conveniently filled. The parts may then be reassembled in the position shown in Fig. l.

In order to prevent relative movement between the pen and the relatively small neck of container I5., the pen I 0 is provided adjacent the point thereof with a conical part 3B adapted to tightly engage the mouth of container I4 so that the container is rmly connected to the pen and will not move relative thereto during lling of the pen.

As is illustrated in the dotted lines in Fig. l, the conical part 3E) of the pen may be formed with a groove or cut away portion 3| so that air may pass through the neck of container I4 during lling or emptying of the pen. This feature is of particular significance when the container li is being filled. However, the pen I6 itself may be used to 'lll container I4 by emptying ink from the pen into the container, and when this is being done the cut away portion or groove 3i permits air to move out of the container Ill as it is being filled with ink. The small size of the outlet of container Iii produces a capillary action which prevents ink from spilling from the container.

A variation of the above embodiment is illustrated in Fig. 3 where all of the parts are the same as those described above except that the resilient tube I 3 is replaced by a leaf spring 2I xed to the bottom end of container I4 and the end of tube II opposite the threaded end thereof. 'Ihe parts are shown in Fig. 3 in the position corresponding to that of Fig. 2 and may be assembled in the position corresponding to that of Fig. 1.

In Fig. 4 there is shown a further embodiment of the invention where the tube I I, corresponding to the tubes II and II, is connected by a leaf Spring 2| to the bottom end of a container I e" having the same construction as the containers described above. In the embodiment of Fig. 4 the leaf spring ZI is connected to and located in a recess of a side or" the tube II so that it need not be bent to the same degree as the leaf spring 2i of Fig. 3. The leaf springs 2| and ZI may be connected to the containers and tubes associated therewith by any suitable means, such as glueing or the like.

In the embodiment of Fig. l instead of a holding means having the construction of tube IQ of Fig. 1, there is provided an elongated member 22 Xed to the container I4' as by glueing, or the like, and extending beyond the bottom end thereof into a recess in the side of tube E I opposite to the point about which container Ill turns under the influence of spring ZI when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. As is shown in Fig. 4, the tube ii is formed with an opening 23 through which a projection 212 mounted on the member 22 extends to releasably hold the parts in the position shown in Fig. When projection 24 is moved out of the opening 23 the spring 2| will automatically move the container i4 to the position shown in Fig. 5. As is apparent from Fig. 5, the lower iree end portion or member 22 is rectangular so that it stably holds the container Iii" in an upwardly extending direction, even though the tube l I is cylindrical, when the parts are mounted on a i'iat horizontal surface. It is obvious that a spring clip may be conveniently connected to any part of the structure shown in Fig. 4 to enable the same to be conveniently carried by the user.

rIhe pen IIB shown in Fig. fi is connected to member il in the same way as in the embodiment of Fig. l. However, instead of a conical portion 3? as is the case with pen IIJ, the pen 58 is provided with a cylindrical lip 32 adjacent the point thereof and this lip is adapted to be located about the neck of container I4 and is provided with internal threads 33 which engage the threads on container Ifl" when the pen ID is being lled or is being emptied to ll container i4 so that in this Way the container Ill is removably connected to the pen I so as to be substantially immovable with respect thereto when either the pen IG or the container I4 is being lled.

It is also possible to substitute a hinge for the spring 2i so that element 22 will then simply serve as a supporting leg to hold the structure in the position shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Also, the recess 23 and projection 24 could be omitted and the apparatus of Figs. 4-6 could be inserted in the tube I6, shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 illustrates a preferred pen construction 3I' adapted to be used with tubes II, II' or IIl and with a container 38 of the same construction as the containers I4, I4 or I4. The pen 3l has a curved, spherical part 32 adapted to rest against the mouth of container 3B and cover the same. A tubular extension 33 extends downwardly from spherical part 32' and carries pen point 34. Extension 33' is of a slightly smaller diameter than the mouth o container 3Q'. Extension 33 places point 34 near the bottom of the container not only to draw ink from the container when it is almost empty but also to enable the pen point and lower part of extension 33 to be completely submerged in ink so that no air will be drawn into the pen when it is being lled.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also nd a useful application in other types of pen cap structures differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in pen cap structures having an ink container therein, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so assegna fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by appling current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or speciiic aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired. to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A pen cap structure adapted to be removably connected to a pen for covering the point thereof and comprising, in combination, an elongated tube having an open end portion in which a pen point is adapted to be located and having another end opposite said open end portion thereof; an elongated container having a bottom closed end located next to said other end of said tube; resilient means interconnecting said other end of said tube with said bottom end of said container for urging the latter into a first position where said container extends angularly from said tube; and releasable holding means associated with said tube and container for holding the latter against the action of said resilient me-ans in a second position where said container forms an extension of said tube so that when said holding means is released said container will automatically move into said first position under the inluence of said resilient means.

2. A pen cap structure as dened in claim 1 and wherein said releasable holding means is in the form of a second tube located about said container and inst-mentioned tube and frictionally engaging the latter to hold said container against the action of said resilient means in said second position. Y

3. A pen cap structure as defined in claim 2 and wherein said second tube is provided with a spring clip for holding the pen on an edge portion of an article of clothing and adapted to be inserted into said open end portion of said firstmentioned tube to stably hold the latter in a position where said container extends upwardly from said first-mentioned tube in said first position thereof.

4. A pen cap structure as dei-ined in claim 1 and wherein said resilient means is in the form of a leaf spring connected to said other end of said tube and said bottom end of said container.

5. A pen cap structure as defined in claim 1 and wherein said resilient means is in the form of a rubber tube nxedly connected to said other end of said first-mentioned tube and to said bottom end of said container.

6. A pen cap structure as defined in claim 1 and wherein said resilient means is in the form of a rubber tube nxedly connected to said other end of said inst-mentioned tube and to said bottom end of said container, said rubber tube being unedually tensioned on opposite sides thereof to automatically urge said container into said first position.

7. A pen cap structure as dened in claim 1 and wherein said resilient means is in the form of a rubber tube xedly connected to said bottom end of said container, and wherein a clamping member is inserted into said rubber tube to stretch the same and is pressed into said other end of said nist-mentioned tube with said rubber tube located between said first-mentioned tube and said clamping member so as to be xed to said first-mentioned tube.

8. A pen cap structure as defined in claim 2 and wherein said container, first-mentioned tube, and second tube are all substantially cylindrical and said container and inst-mentioned tube are of substantially the same diameter.

9. A pen cap structure as defined in claim 1 and wherein said releasable holding means is in the form of an elongated member fixedly connected to said container and being releasably connected to said tube for releasably holding said container in said second position.

10. A pen cap structure as dened in claim. 1 and wherein said tube is formed in a side portion thereof with an opening passing therethrough and said releasable holding means is in the form of an elongated member fixedly connected to said container and having a projection thereon movable into and out of said opening in said tube for releasably holding said container in said second position thereof when said projection is located in said opening.

l1. A pen cap structure adapted to be removably connected to a pen for covering the point thereof and comprising, in combination, an elongated substantially cylindrical tube having an open end portion in which a pen point is adapted to be located and having another end opposite said open end portion thereof, said tube being formed with an opening in a side portion thereof; an elongated substantially cylindrical container of substantially the same diameter as said tube and having a closed bottom end located next to said other end of said tube; resilient means interconnecting said other end of said tube with said bottom end of said container for resiilently urging the latter from a first position where said container forms an extension of said tube about a point located substantially on the periphery of said other end of said tube on the side opposite said side portion thereof to a second position where said container extends angularly from said tube; and an elongated member fixedly connected to said container adjacent said bottom end thereof and having a substantially rectangular free end portion extending beyond said container and overlapping said side portion of said tube when said container is in said first position thereof, said elongated member having a projection located in said opening of said tube to releasably hold said container in said rst position against the action of said resilient means, and said rectangular free end portion of said elongated member serving to stably hold said container in an upwardly extending direction when said tube is mounted on a horizontal surface and saidcontainer is in said second position thereof.

12. A pen cap structure adapted to be removably connected to a pen for covering the point thereof and comprising, in combination, an elongated tube having an open end portion in which a pen point is adapted to be located and having another end opposite said open end portion thereof; an elongated container having a closed bottom end located next to said other end of said tube; connecting means interconnecting said other end of said tube with said bottom end of said container to mount the latter for turning movement from a nrst position, where said container forms an extension of said tube, about a point located on the periphery of said other end of said tube to a second position where said container extends angularly from said tube; and an elongated member xedly connected to said container adjacent said bottom end thereof and having a substantially rectangular free end portion extending beyond said container and overlapping a side portion of said tube located opposite said turning point when said container is in said irst position thereof, so that, when said container is moved about said turning point to said second position, said rectangular free end portion of said elongated member serves to stably hold said container in an upwardly extending direction when said tube is located on a horizontal surface.

13. A pen cap structure adapted to be removably connected to a pen for covering the point thereof and comprising, in combination, an elongated, substantially cylindrical tube having an open end portion in which a pen point is adapted to be located and having another end opposite said open end portion thereof; an elongated, substantially cylindrical container of substantially the same diameter as said tube and having a closed bottom end located next to said other end of said tube; connecting means interconnecting said other end of said tube with said bottom end of said container to mount the latter for turning movement from a rst position, Where said container forms an extension of said tube, about a point located on the periphery of said other end of said tube to a second position where said container extends angularly from said tube; and an elongated member xedly connected to said container adjacent said bottom end thereof and` having a substantially rectangular free end portion extending beyond said container and overlapping a side portion of said tube located opposite said turning point when said container is in said first position thereof, so that, when said container is moved about said turning point to said second position, said rectangular free end portion of said elongated member serves to stably hold said container in an upwardly extending direction when said tube is located on a horizontal surface.

MENDEL FRIED.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,822,897 Lipschutz Sept. 15, 1931 2,010,753 Dunning Aug. 6, 1935 2,140,057 Rinehalt Dec. 13, 1938 2,577,078 Fried Dec. 4, 1951 FOREGN PATENTS Number Country Date 73,058 Germany Jan. 13, 1894 147,029 Austria Sept. 25, 1936 841,717 France Feb. 13, 1939 

